Taken
by Kildred
Summary: Keitaro has everything taken from him.


Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina, or anything associated with it.

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"Why did they leave me?"

Keitaro sat on his mattress, staring at his surroundings. The white walls of his room seemed to stretch on for miles. Extending in every direction, they taunted him to try and stand. Try and escape his current station. He wouldn't. There was no reason to. After all, he had lost almost all reason to live. Ever since they left him. Left him? No, they were taken from him. What had he done? What had they done? Surely, this wasn't some karmic retribution. He never hurt anyone! They never hurt anyone!

Dropping his head, he started to remember the ones he loved. Naru. Poor Naru. He loved her so much. Even if it wasn't reciprocated all the time, he loved her. And now no one could. Not after the car accident. She was in intensive care for weeks before she finally died. They never found the culprit. Just once, he hoped that fate would throw him a bone and deliver the bastard to him. Whatever was left, the police could have.

He leaned forward, still hanging his head. Haruka. Dear Aunt Haruka. He could almost hear the whack of her fan on his skull when he said her name. She kept to herself and helped whenever she could, but no one could help her when it finally happened. He had asked her so many times, but she never relented. Everyone cried when the cancer finally claimed her. Who couldn't? Even as stoic as she was, she had this way of calming everyone. He could swear that her cigarette smoke filled the room. Perhaps he was concentrating too hard.

Sighing, he remembered Kanako, his overly affectionate sister. He wished that Granny wasn't so adamant in those travels she took. The news of her in that plane crash devastated him. He hadn't spent enough time with her, and now there was never going to be time. Taking a deep breath, he wondered why she wasn't seated. Kanako was always hot-blooded. She was probably arguing with someone. Usually, that was...

Looking up at the ceiling, he remember the one who made it possible to see them all. Granny Hina. Fighting the fight that no one could win. The funeral was grand. Keitaro spared no expense for her. The lovable old woman who could make almost anything happen, regardless of the adversity. So many people he never even knew showed up to pay their respects. He could have sworn a couple of political figures were there as well. It was a tragic day. If he concentrated, he could almost hear her voice, giving some poor soul sage counsel.

He laid down on his side. Shinobu. Sweet little Shinobu. A cooking prodigy, taken by a freak accident. The explosion took out nearly half the building, and only the one who stayed back to clean up was killed. How was that fair? If everyone else had picked up their share, that hotel could've been saved. Better yet, she could've been saved. Thinking about it, he could almost smell the pork fried rice she would cook. Sitting up, he pushed himself to the edge of the bed and laid his feet on the ground.

Mitsune. Or rather, Kitsune. No one knew how to have fun like she did. The party girl knew the ins and outs of almost every bar in the town, and was proud of it. When everyone started dying, she took to the bottle harder than ever. While it was a shock, it was no surprise that her liver gave out. He had hoped she would last until a donor was found for a transplant, but she died two weeks before they could get one. He often thought that, without her friends around, there wasn't much to live for anyway. He smiled as he imagined her laughter flowing throughout the room. Keitaro stood up, walking across the cold floor.

Motoko, admittedly, he never saw coming. She took care of herself so well that he never had a doubt that she would remain healthy, even in times of adversity. Even if she did, Tsuruko would've undoubtedly whipped her back into shape. Never in his wildest dreams did he see her being mugged. Not that the scenario itself would've brought her down, but not many sword-wielders win against a gun. When he went to see her in the hospital, he almost threw up from the blood. Remembering her fondly, he imagined her wielding her sword, hearing it leave the sheathe. After all, who would know that sound better than him?

Walking around the empty room, he recalled Su. Poor Su. She had gone into one of her scientific retreats inside her room. It was perfectly normal for her to be gone for days, weeks at a time. When he had finally gone to check on her, she was dead. Some mechanical experiment gone wrong. He started crying. That part hurt the most. Knowing that the one person he probably could've saved died because if his complacency. The tears finally flowed freely.

Keitaro stretched against his jacket, the latches holding strong. He didn't know what he could do anymore. Everyone was gone, and he was alone. What did he have to look forward to anymore? Toudai was a far off memory now. What good was it when all his friends had left? Being a student now didn't mean a thing. Looking out his barred windows, he wondered exactly what his path would hold. Surely he couldn't...

Hearing some voices, he scamper over to his cell door. Looking out the small window, he gasped. Kitsune! She was alive! She must've gotten the transplant after all! He almost laughed when he noticed someone behind her. Shinobu! She made it too! It was unbelievable! Maybe...maybe the others too? Looking around as best he could, he made out everyone's forms. Motoko, Haruka, Granny, Su, Kanako. They all made it! It was almost too good to be true! He laughed. Everything would be right again!

"Alright, be careful."

"Yes. Thank you, sir."

The door opened up, and Keitaro practically jumped into their arms. "Everyone! I'm so glad you're alive! You have no idea how much I had worried..." The tears streamed down his face. It was all a bad dream!

"Hey there, nephew. Calm down, alright?" He regarded his Aunt with a large smile.

"Right, right. Sorry. I was just so happy...Hmm?" He looked around a few times. Everyone's face wasn't exactly glowing. Pacing around them a bit, he came to his question. "Where's Naru?" The reaction was far from what he wanted. Everyone fidgeted in some way or another. "Guys?"

Kitsune reacted first. "Alright, Keitaro. Look. The truth is-" She was cut off by Motoko.

"I hardly believe that that is the correct choice of action, Kitsune."

"What do you want? We've tried everything else!"

Now, he was getting nervous. "Guys? What...what happened?"

Shinobu stood forward. "S-sempai...you...um...it was..." She started crying a little, before turning into Su's shoulder. What had happened?

Hina clapped, gaining attention. "Okay, everyone. Out. I'll tell him." Almost immediately, Kanako protested.

"You can't be serious?! He's already torn up about this!"

"Yes, dear. So much so that he's denying reality. It's going to be a long road, but we need to start with this. Now, out." Kanako stood still for a moment, before running over and hugging her brother. Had his arms not been preoccupied, he would've returned it. She ran outside after breaking it off, followed by the rest of the girls. "Now, Keitaro. You aren't going to like what I'm about to say."

"What is it? Why is everyone so upset?"

Hina sighed. Bad news was never easy to give. "Keitaro, you killed Naru."

"W-what?"

"You were coming home from practicing your driving when you hit her. Everyone knows it was an accident, Keitaro. No one blames you." She patted the man on his back, trying to console him.

"But...I didn't...it was the driver...I..."

"No, Keitaro. You can't run from this. It was-"

"IT WASN'T ME!" His scream echoed throughout the building, startling those outside his door as well as Hina herself. Seething, he eyed her down. "I would _never _hurt Narusegawa! It was that bastard! The other driver!" Shaking her head, Hina left and closed the door behind her. "Granny?" Running to the door, he saw the talking to the guard. "Everyone?" Panic set in when they started to leave. "No, wait! Please! I didn't kill her! It wasn't me! I...don't leave me. Please?" He pushed his head against the side of the window. "Please come back. I don't want...don't go...I can't..." Walking back to his bed, he sat down, crossed-legged. Looking up, the walls seemed to be taunting as they stretched around him.

Of course they weren't here. It was just his silly dream. Stretching, he laid down on his bed. His eyes disobeyed him as the once again let the tears flow. Why did fate deem him fit for such torture? Taking everyone from him, and then toying with his sense of reality with hallucinations? He looked around him.

"Why did they leave me?"


End file.
